Halladay Starting Saturday – But Should He?

Much has been made about the Phillies decision to allow Roy Halladay to start on Saturday in Miami. It’ll be his last trip to the hill this season, and with the Phillies out of the playoff chase, many are wondering if it’s even worth it.

The answer isn’t just an easy yes or no. While it’s understandable to assume it’s better for the Phillies to “save some bullets” and sit Doc down for this one start, he would end up going down with a fight anyway. However, shutting him down would allow him to coast into the offseason, focusing on getting himself right for 2013. Many are calling for the Phillies brass to make the executive decision to just say no. That hasn’t, and as of now, will not happen.

Really, I’m not sure it matters. One six inning start isn’t going to kill the guy. We all know what kind of competitor Halladay is, so he wants to finish a disappointing season on a high note. You can’t fault him for that. It’s likely the Phillies conferred with doctors and trainers, who deemed Halladay fine to pitch one last time. He had a back/upper shoulder spasm before his last start, which caused him to be about as bad as Halladay can be. But, it sounds like everything is sound in the shoulder region. Don’t you think they would be all over him if it wasn’t?

I’m sure he’s thinking if he’s well enough to pitch, then he should. And we should commend him for wanting to put together one last Doc-like performance before the long winter shuts him down.

Count me as one not too worried about this final start. Would I rather him not make it? Probably. But to be up in arms about it is ridiculous. Halladay has five months to rest his troublesome shoulder, so allowing him to finish the season on his own terms is fine by me.

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0 Comments

Ken Bland

September 27, 2012 at 7:32 am

“And we should commend him for wanting to put together one last Doc-like performance before the long winter shuts him down.”

Sorry, that still doesn’t answer the question for me of what purpose does it serve with enough juice to be excited about the start. It’s ridiculous that a man of his achievement is considered so fragile that he needs 1 more good start to wear a smile into the winter. Frankly, his mentality reminds me of the attitude I’d be wearing if I were in his spikes. Much easier to spot the fallacy in others than oneself. End of the day, you’re probably right, it doesn’t really matter.

If the doctors don’t have a problem with Halladay starting, and the coaching staff says he did fine in his bullpen session, then there is absolutely why he shouldn’t start or why fans should be so up in arms about it. It’s one crummy start, for crying out loud!

He may be stubborn, as pamikedc seems to think, but pamikedc is totally off base saying he refuses to consult doctors. He was examined on two different days by medical staff, he’s been watched closely by coaches, and management has said that it’s not entirely Halladay’s decision to make. He likes to pitch, but he’s not stupid, and knows he’s got next year’s paycheck to earn; he’s probably not foolish enough to take unnecessary risks. He likely feels that he needs to make adjustments, and sometimes that can only be done from the mound.

I found these two quotes interesting. I think the first one says these guys all deal with aches and pains and most of it is meaningless. They are athletes, I totally agree with that.

“He said Halladay has long dealt with these random spasms, which arose three to four other times this season. “You guys don’t know half of what goes on,” Dubee said.”

I think the second one says that it’s not the team’s decision to let him pitch, it’s Roy Halladay’s. I’m not sure I’m on board with that. To be clear, I didn’t mean I don’t think he should pitch, I meant it shouldn’t be his decision.

“Halladay will turn 36 in May and is a free agent after 2013. He is due $20 million next season. With that much at stake, isn’t another 100 pitches on an already taxed arm superfluous?”No,” Dubee said, “because he wants to take the mound and I understand why.”

This is the same manager who, one year ago, had Cliff Lee throw 120 pitches in a nothing game – after the division and league’s best record was clinched. You expect sanity from the worst manager in baseball history, you are dreaming. And by the way, can we just bring him back for three more years of this incessant torment?